


Once and Future Marshmallow

by Night-Mare (Aoife)



Series: Time Travel Fix-it Fics [5]
Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Author loves to chat in the Comments, Blame Byakuran (Reborn!), Byakuran is a Giglio Nero (Reborn!), Fluff and Crack, Original Character: Cadenza di Giglio Nero, Original Character: Fabio di Giglio Nero, Other, Pokemon as Box Animals, Vongola Decimo Byakuran (Reborn!)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 00:01:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28715418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aoife/pseuds/Night-Mare
Summary: It is possible that this is yet another dream (he dreams so often these days) but if it is, it's different enough that he wants to see how the changes work out.
Relationships: Byakuran & Uni | Yuni, Byakuran/Irie Shouichi, Byakuran/Sawada Tsunayoshi
Series: Time Travel Fix-it Fics [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1624318
Comments: 91
Kudos: 143





	1. Chapter 1

“Ow.” The word is asinine but describes his situation _perfectly_. The last time he’d had a headache even half as bad as this, he’d overdone the marshmallows and given himself hyperglycemia.

“Computer, turn off the lights.”

The evil light stays resolutely _bright_ , and he whines.

“Shoichi, if those lights aren’t turned off within the next thirty seconds, I am going to french-kiss Daisy in front of you.”

“Do I want to know who Shoichi is? Or Daisy, little orchid?” He almost sits bolt upright. He hasn’t heard the laughing voice in the doorway in _years_ , and he doesn’t want to believe that she’s alive again. He flares his Flames, brilliant and bright and sharp with his secondary Flame. The illusion doesn’t shatter, but rather startles him as he realises that his mother is a Lightning, _too_.

He chews his lip and then decides to play along with the illusion. “I dream. You know that, Mama. They’re my two Sun candidates.” His head still hurts, and he presses his palms to his eyes, seeking relief.

“You sounded so _convinced_ that your threat was going to work, little orchid.” His mother sits on the edge of his bed and strokes his hair gently. “If the dreams are distressing you … maybe we need to go home? I know there are ways to train and focus the Family gift if you possess it - and you clearly do.”

“There are?” None of his dreams had ever implied that it was possible. (This felt so real - but then so did the memories of pinning Shoichi to a bed and doing unspeakable things to him. Things this body couldn’t do yet.)

“There are. And, well, your father and aunt have both gotten themselves killed, so slipping into Sicily to see your cousin should be safer than it used to be.” His mother’s hands are amazingly soothing. “And you’re clearly getting caught up in the other worlds you’re dreaming of, little orchid - and I don’t want to see you suffer our curse.”

“Can we send someone to find Shoichi? I need him, Mama.”

“Not Daisy?”

“Daisy’s my Sun once I’ve fallen.” He doesn’t know why he says that, but it rings with a perfect crystalline note: _Truth_. His mother hears it, too. “You’ve never mentioned Papa before.”

“Oh, little orchid. I’ve told you stories of your Papa; his name was just my little secret.” His mother sounds amused. “He was my Sky and my heart, but when I told him I was pregnant, he sent me away to raise you in peace and safety, little orchid. He didn’t trust his father, and he didn’t trust our Zia Luce, either.” His eyes go wide as he puts things he’s dreamt about together. “Shh, little orchid. Don’t say a word; you never know who might be listening. Now I’m going to make you some breakfast; peel yourself out of your bed and take a shower. It should help with making you feel more human.”

* * *

“Is there anyone else who pops up in your dreams a lot, little orchid?” He finishes his mouthful, chewing slowly as he tries to decide what to tell his Mama. “Not just Guardians, but people the dreams seem to focus on?”

He bites his lip and then takes a swan-dive off the cliff - Tsuna’s life would improve a lot if he removed him from Nana’s care, wouldn’t it? “There’s another Sky, Mama. And sometimes we’re enemies, and sometimes he’s my Tsu-plushie …”

She slides another pancake onto his plate and puts the pan back on its trivet. “And was he your plushie when you were being good or being bad, little orchid?”

“Good!” His mother chuckles at how chirpy his answer is. “When I tried for world domination, he fought me.” He pouts theatrically. “All he needed to do to stop me was agree to snuggles. Didn’t need to fight me.”

“Sweetheart, following your father around showed me that there’s far too much paperwork involved in even being _heir_ to one of the Underworld’s thrones, for my tastes. No wonder you went insane.” She laughs and leans over, ruffling his hair gently. “I bet you were using sugar and caffeine to manage your brain in the dreams, too, weren’t you?”

“And Sho-chan snuggles.”

“Where would we find your plushies, then, little orchid?”

“Namimori! In Hokkaido. Sho-chan is cutest kitsune plushie, Tsu-tan is Primo plushie -”

“- Primo plushie, little orchid?”

“’S. Tsu-tan’s a teeny-tiny brunet Giotto lookalike. Looks just like _his_ Mama, too.” He grins at his slightly confused looking mother. “Namimori was the Jōkamachi for Ugetsu’s clan. He took his Sky home with him. Lots of people have Giotto’s genetics in the town, but Tsu-tan is only Sky in his generation. Even if he does have a girl-twin wandering around.”

“Byakuran, sweetheart, how many lives have you dreamed?”

“- lots? Least fifteen, I think -”

“Oh, little orchid. We definitely need to go home.” His Mama makes a face. “I’ll send Fabio to find your ‘plushies’ while we sneak back into Sicily; is there anything else that might help us find them?”

“Sho-chan is kitsune-kit because Sho-chan has fire-red hair. Tsu-tan is Tsu-tan. But Tsu-tan is Sealed, so might be hard to find -” his mother twitches, and he realises what he’s just implied.

“Little orchid, _who_ has been sealing baby Skies?”

“… ’xactly who Mama is suspicious of.” His Mama scowls. “Tsu-tan’s only security is obs-cur-ity. Sho-chan will be harder to steal -”

* * *

“You hid him well, Cadenza; I don’t think I’ve ever ‘seen’ him.”

“… Aria?” The other Sky nods, cheerfully. “How’s Yuni?” That earns him a look that makes him squirm a bit, but he keeps his head up and his tone chirpy. “The timelines in my head are sort of weird? I’m not sure if she’s been born yet -”

“She has. But now I’m convinced that you have the Family gift, Byakuran. Cadenza tells me she’s sent Fabio to fetch your … plushies?”

“My Sho-chan and my Tsu-tan! They keep me sane when I have them in my dreams.” He makes his eyes as big as he can. “Yuni helps too -”

“Yuni’s hidden for a reason, Byakuran. Your Mama isn’t the only one who made a vision-directed-but-outwardly-poor choice for her sperm donor.” He tilts his head, working through the possibilities.

“Xanxus is frozen in the Iron Fort basement. Tsu-tan can undo the ice. Watched him do it before -” he bounces on his toes, “- watching Xanxus play daddy would be adorable! Never seen that before; he’s too damaged and crabby if he’s left on ice as long as he normally is. I mean he normally fucks Squalo, but even when we swapped someone in to steal samples he was shooting blanks -”

His mother’s hand slaps across his mouth, and Aria laughs. “Nephew, I am going to _enjoy_ hearing all about your dreams. Even if they apparently are rather age-inappropriate.”

“I grow up in my dreams, every time.” He grins at Aria. “He isn’t such a weird choice, Zia. He’s got a pretty cock and knows how to use it -”

“That’s not the best way to pick a baby-daddy, little orchid.” His Mama sounds amused. “Which of the boys are still breathing, cugina?”

“Only Massimo. But he's not going to last long given everything I've seen; which is where our dilemma sits, Cadenza. We don’t throw male Skies. We _really_ don’t. He’s the first in almost a millennia. And he’s getting past the age where we can pretend he’s a girl.”

“- you’re worried about his grandfather wanting him to inherit, aren't you?”

“Aren’t you?”

“I'm not. Tsu-tan never wants to be Decimo. Tsu-tan likes being my plushie … Tsu-tan wouldn’t mind being my waifu, either.” His mother and her cousin stare at him. “Never had a dream where I got to wear _that_ crown, but lots of dreams where Tsu-tan and Sho-chan are my very favourite plushies -” he grins “- Tsu-tan is very pretty in a dress.”

* * *

“Serious question, little orchid. When you ruled, what sent you over the edge?”

“Watching the Tsu-tans who were made to be Sky-of-Skies break their Rings. Without them, we couldn’t save Yuni-chan.” Aria’s eyes widen subtly. ”- I’ve dreamed of three different ways to break the curse, oba-sama. I don’t dream of them _working_ , because we have to take the Mare Ring off to make any of them work, but I’m always sure they will. And all the tri-ni-sette is needed -"

“So you know what is in this box, then, nipote?” He nods. “The way you describe your dreams says that you wear its contents in most realities, sì?”

“I do. They’re pretty - prettier than the other parts of the tri-ni-sette.”

“I think your Tsu-tan should wear it, especially if you’re going to be Vongola Decimo; if he’s got the Vongola’s Hyper Intuition, he should be able to see what the Ring’s dreams are, rather than get caught up in them. And by formally disavowing this part of the tri-ni-sette -”

“- my dreams should get more manageable. More … steerable?”

“That’s the theory. They _prefer_ the blood we share, but as I’ve already repudiated them on Yuni’s behalf and Cadenza is a Lightning, it should also leave them open for your Tsu-tan to claim.” He bounces eagerly. “I can’t guarantee it, nipote. They still may not want to accept him and insist on waiting for you to have either siblings or niblings, but it’s worth a try, ne?”

* * *

“Tsu-tan!”

“Tsu-tan doesn’t know who you are, stranger-san.” He pulls a face at his plushie’s denial of their friendship.

“I know, Tsu-tan. But we _should_ know each other.”

“Tsu-tan doesn’t understand.”

“You know how _some_ of the people in Namimori live in clusters of homes, and all the kids grow up together, Tsu-tan?” He has to fight to resist the urge to grab his favourite person and cuddle him when Tsuna nods; he’s so cute! “We should have grown up like that, even though we’re barely related. And we have the cutest baby cousin, and she’s going to need us _both_ to look after her!” He gives in and tugs his Tsu-tan into his lap, trying to remember how unSealing his Tsu-tan had gone in the dreams where he’d had to do it himself.

“Little orchid, what _are_ you up to?” His Mama gives him a mildly disapproving look from the doorway to his new playroom. Tsu-tan’s asleep in his lap, the destruction of the Seal (and the brand new sensory input) had his plushie exhausted.

“Fix’in Tsu-tan so Tsu-tan can _properly_ be my plushie. A’ready fixed Sho-chan.”

“- _fixed_?”

“Tsu-tan and Sho-chan were Sealed. Hafta fix it in some dreams. Fixed some other stuff, too, -” he chins his Tsu-tan plushie gently and finishes pouring his Flames into him. (He was being kinda naughty, but he could see the shape of his Mama and his cugina’s plans, and his mischief would make it easier. Tsu-tan wouldn’t want to fight him anyway. Tsu-tan didn’t like fighting him, even when Tsu-tan went into the police. Much better to make Tsu-tan's choices easier.)


	2. Chapter 2

“So Mama and Zia Aria thinks we should wait a bit longer to tell you, but Tsu-chan agreed with me after they peeped.” He can see his mother facepalming gently. “So. Hi Nonno! Papa told Mama to take me and run because your catamite is _really_ bad at threat assessments.”

“My … catamite?”

“Well he’s no use at his official job, so he must be able to suck a tennis ball through a garden hose; why else would you keep him around?” He can _hear_ Aria cackling on his earpiece. “I mean he’s gotten my Papa and two out of three of my uncles killed; I hope he’s been doing something to earn his keep.”

“Byakuran, sweetheart, I doubt Iemitsu’s _actually_ a catamite, even if he is incompetent. And where _did_ you learn that word, anyway?” He leans into his Mama, and she ruffles his hair gently. “It’s more likely that he’s planning to inherit himself; it’s why I was dubious about telling your Nonno about you.”

“That explains Tsu-tan! I did wonder why he made a Tsu-tan if he wasn’t going to look after his Tsu-tan and enjoy all the snuggles … but none of the Tsu-tans I’ve seen thrive as Don? Maybe he was planning to try again when he was Don?”

“You’re Enrico’s son?”

“Well, I was his Lightning, Timoteo. And Enrico is the only _man_ I’ve ever slept with; unless you’re going to insult me while also claiming that Hyper Intuition isn’t _actually_ a gene-linked gift - given Enrico was overseeing that project I am damn well aware it is - then yes, Byakuran is Enrico’s son. And if you’re still dubious, you can let him try your portion of the tri-ni-sette on; after all the only other candidates are ineligible at the moment.” (Lie, says the bit of his head he’s learning to listen. Tsu-tan was still viable. _Xanxus_ was still viable. Even Iemitsu technically was viable despite the standing lie about CEDeF. But they were more concerned about his viability in the eyes of the old man in front of him right now.)

He’s almost (but not quite) surprised when Timoteo does pull the Sky Ring off his finger. “You’re as Giglio Nero as you are Vongola; I’m sure you’ve seen what happens when someone … ineligible puts this on.” He knows that Timo intends for him to balk, so he nods, and takes the Ring, unpicking Giotto’s curse on Ricardo even as he slips it onto his Ring finger. It _blooms_ , taking on its Original form - its original-original form, not the one with the tacky intaglio - and Timoteo stares at him in disbelief

“… congratulations, Vongola Decimo. You’ll need to move into the Fort -” it’s the first words any of the man’s Guardians have spoken. 

“- not until you’ve dealt with the Ninth’s catamite. I do like that term for Iemitsu, little orchid; it completely explains your Nonno’s obsession with the man.” Coyote gives his Mama the evil eye, and he curls his Flames gently, using them to issue the first part of the ‘recall’ to the daughter Rings in retaliation. The Storm flinches. (He had to thank the version of him that had broken Kawahira; he’d learned so much from the Mist!)

“Cadenza, he’s not my catamite.” His Mama’s Flames feel thoroughly amused at the Ninth’s denial. “He’s a Vongola Sky -”

“- he’s your _son_?” His cugina is giggling in his ear. “I think that’s creepier, personally.”

“No, he’s one of Giotto’s descendants.”

He makes a face, and tugs his mother down to his level for a moment. She snorts when she hears his suggestion, flicking though the photos on her phone until she reaches the set Fabio had sent as confirmation that he was lifting the correct plushies. “Giotto’s descendants look like this, Timo -” the picture is of Kyoko, not Tsuna, but he doubts the man realises, “- not the blond idiot you let suck your cock while he kills your boys.”

“Viper?”

“Yes, kitsune?”

“Home, please?”

“You owe me, nipote.” Palermo dissolves into the countryside villa and he bounces through the old building to find his den. He actually squeaks in delight when he realises there’s an occupied crib! Yuni! He gets to cuddle tiny Yuni! Even if the paperwork was going to kill him eventually … maybe he could suborn Tetsu? Or Hayato? Didn’t Hayato do most of Tsu’s paperwork? And was running around failing at being a street kid right now?

* * *

“Kura-kun?”

“Yes, Tsu-tan?”

“Why do I have to wear a _dress_?”

“Because Giglio-Nero Skies are normally girls and we’re still hiding you from the Timo’s catamite.” His primo plushie pulls a face that makes him giggle. “I could wear a sundress too?”

“Kura-kun’s being silly. Tsu-tan will wear the dress if Kura-kun gives up today’s marshmallow allowance.” He’s genuinely torn, but if he can have Sho-chan and Tsu-tan snuggles …

“If I have to give up the marshmallows, then can you get Sho-chan to wear a dress, too?”

“… two days.” He scowls and Tsuna giggles and hugs him. “Sho-chan’s got the cutest sunny sun-dress, Kura-kun. Would be worth it -”

“Fine.” His Tsu-plushie bounces, and slips out of his grip, making him whine. (The pickpocketing is actually reasonably well done; given that Tsuna had just claimed his prize for wearing the sun-dress, he lets him succeed.)

“Uh-uh. You cuddle Yuni-chan. Tsu needs to put the sun-dress on and bribe Sho-chan to do the same.” He pouts, but the eviler of his two plushies pops a marshmallow in his mouth and vanishes into the bedroom his plushies share when he’s not snuggling them. He chews the marshmallow happily and wanders over to Yuni’s playpen, and his baby cousin holds up her arms to be lifted up, and he cuddles her - babbling back when prompted - until his plushies emerge.

“You need to stay here, Yuni-chan. We’ll be back this evening.” He gets a wobbly lip, and he wavers a little bit. “There’s no toddler-rides on the Island, sweetheart. We’re only really going to lay some bait for someone -” That earns him big, watery eyes, and he caves. “- fine. But no grumbling about being in the baby backpack.” The sniffles stop, and he’s rewarded with another marshmallow. And if this is Tsu’s idea of what to do with his marshmallows, he absolutely approves.

* * *

“Little orchid?”

“Tsu-tan’s favourite kitten has run away from home. For good reason. But he’s not meant to be on his own? It breaks his Flames, and he looks so cute asleep at Tsu-tan’s feet …”

“… you told me that, but why does that mean that we need to go traipsing through the back alleys of the Island, little orchid?”

“Because Hayato-kun didn’t take the Tsu-tan bait this morning when we were in the ride queues. So we need to go to where Hayato-kun is likely hiding and see if Tsu-tan will work as a lure _then_.” His Mama sighs but allows him to lead their small group down the alley he’d selected.

“… is Tsu-tan going to like what Tsu-tan’s being used as bait for?”

“Hayato-kun is the most adorable little kitten, Tsu-tan. Grumpy, but loves his Tsu-tan lots and lots and lots. You always seem to end up having to order him not to die for you though because he is an absolute drama kitten.” His Tsu-plushie makes a face and he agrees; Kikyo’s dramatic tendencies made him want to ‘sit’ on his Cloud until he agreed to behave and not take stupid risks. “Need to figure out where my Hayato equivalent is hiding, too, Tsu-tan. Then we can just leash them to each other when they’re being Stupid.”

“Little orchid, leashing two Clouds together squares the destruction rather than halving it.”

“I think Kura-kun knows that ba-chama. Given some of _my_ dreams -” he slaps a hand over his Tsu-tan plushie’s mouth, and then freezes; he can finally ‘feel’ Hayato. (Except that he’s always met Hayato later, after this phase of his life; this Hayato’s Flames feel weirdly like the Storm and Cloud are both _secondaries_. Not primaries. What had Shamal done?)

“Flare your Flames, just like I showed you, Tsu-tan.” His favourite plushie obliges, making Yuni giggle and clap from her position on his back. The flare has the desired effect; there’s a rustle from one of the doorways, and then he finally spots Hayato. (What he sees makes him want to scowl, but that would scare Hayato away, so he tries to smile, and Yuni coos at his attempt.) “We’ve been looking for you, Hayato-kun. Don’t worry; we’re nothing at all to do with your sister or your papa. In fact, I think technically we’re at war with them. Right, Mama?”

“Only technically, little orchid. And if he’s Tsu-tan’s Mist, then he’s not a Falco -”

“Did you hear that, Hayato-kun?” His plushie’s right-hand slinks out of the shadows and nods. “Would you like to see if you can be Tsu-tan’s Mist?”

“Little orchid -”

“Tsu-tan and I talked about this. We didn’t think Hayato-kun was a Mist, but that just makes it easier -” His plushie slips past him and hugs his right-hand and his earlier priming takes _full_ effect. The world goes sort of fuzzy around the edges for a moment and then straightens up. “- we should probably pin Shamal down and see if he’s your Papa, Hayato, or your Zio. I know he’s related to you _somehow_. And your primary Flame only makes it clearer.”

“I think we can go home now, Viper, sì?”

“Mou. We need to renegotiate the retainer.”

His Mama chuckles. “It’s not my fault you didn’t predict us coming home, oba-sama. That was the risk you took when you accepted my retainer; any assistance I needed over the ten years specified, no extra payments involved.”

“Hmph.” He snickers, and bounces on his toes. Given Hayato’s primary Flame, his next target _had_ to be Shamal. (His Mama needed a replacement cock-wielder of her very own, too, and Shamal came with _fantastic_ reviews.) The Island fades out of existence and their villa reforms around them.

“M’going to snuggle Sho-chan, Tsu-tan. Why don’t you show Hayato-kun where the snacks are and the shower?”

“Do I get a say in this?” His Sho-chan looks so adorably put upon in his lemon yellow sun-dress.

“It depends on what sort of say. You did bargain a day of being social against a whole day of lab time with Fabio supervising, Sho-chan …” His Sun pouts at him, and he kisses the tip of Sho-chan’s nose. “… and social includes helping Tsu-tan’s new kitty-cat settle in.”

“Kitty-cat? His name means falcon -”

“- his soul is kitty-shaped. You’ll see. He’s a science-type, too. You two have a _lot_ of fun in your labs in my dreams.” He grins at Sho-chan. “Fabio found the papers I sent him after _and_ Verde agreed to help. But you don’t get them until tomorrow, Sho-chan. So come snuggle? I stay saner if I get lots of snuggles, Sho-chan, and you like me sane -”

“- you are a _menace_ , tenjō-tama.”

“An adorable one, by your own admission.” Sho-chan pulls a face at him. “Your Mama will join us in Sicily eventually, Sho-chan. She’s from our world, too. Fabio left her plenty of breadcrumbs to follow.” He grins. “He might even survive her vengeance for your kidnapping!”

“- I don’t want to know, do I?”

“Probably not. You might get little siblings out of the deal though, which would be pretty neat.” His Sun makes another _very_ eloquent face. “Little siblings are fun. And they’re important, too. Means things have changed. None of us have them in my dreams -”

* * *

“Nuh-uh. Not until you tell me what Hayato-kun is to you, Trident Shamal. He’s my plushie’s plushie and I won’t have my plushies upset. Need them cuddly and calm so _I_ stay sane.” The Mist doctor gives him a look that makes him squirm just a little bit, but he stands his ground. “If you’re going to keep claiming he’s not related to you, -” he flares his Flames, forming his wings for the first time in _this_ life.

“I was Lavina.”

“… _really_? What were you _thinking_?!”

“His father was prettier before I fucked him up and fucked him over. All he had to do was give me my son back, and I’d undo it.” He pulls a face. “You’re judging _me_ , brat?”

“No, just trying to figure out how to give Hayato his Mama back _and_ still make sure mine gets laid.”

“You’re not Aria’s, but you’ve definitely got the Giglio Nero gift -” Shamal’s eyes go indigio, and he fights the urge to flare his Flames again. (He didn’t want to risk burning out the man’s eyes; Shamal wasn’t particularly strong, but he had the oddest Flame; even when he’d ruled the world, he’d only found a handful with the ability to work at the atomic level Shamal routinely did. Maybe with Shamal shaping his son’s Flame, Hayato would develop the same knack?)

“Cadenza.”

“She’s been dead for ten years.” He raises an eyebrow at him. “Fine. Clearly not dead for ten years if she’s your mother. Which doesn’t make any sense, brat - she’s a freaking _lesbian_.”

“Maybe they used a turkey baster or maybe Enrico was her exception. He was her Sky after all. The stories she told me about him were cute, too, so I doubt it was anything nasty.” He beams at the Mist. “So you’re staying then? And being Lavina, too, right? Don’t make me get evil, Shamal -”

“You’re saying that like it’s a threat, brat.”

“Mmmm. From the timelines that Aria peeked at, it’s less a threat and more a promise. He does a good line in evil overlord, and picks up some _very_ disturbing hobbies when plushie-deprived.” His mama grins at them both from the office doorway. “So, let me see the pretty woman you apparently turn into, Shamal, and then I’ll let you explain yourself to your son.”

He doesn’t fight the urge to clap when the Mist’s body shifts ever so slightly, the change rippling across his form; he recognises Lavina from his research (one of his eviler-selves had cloned her lots and lots to terrorise Hayato, so he knows _exactly_ what she looks like) and it’s quite clear she really is one of Shamal’s alter-egos. And that his Mama _definitely_ appreciates her.

“Not a word, little orchid. Go check on your kitsune in his lair.”

* * *

“I’m a Giglio-Nero Kwisatz Haderach.” Verde gives him a look that makes him want to giggle. “Or maybe it’s just I’m more alien than not? That would explain it, too. But no blood samples for you to play with … I don’t want to face an army of flowers again. Or command one. It’s exhausting.”

“Kura-kun. _Behave_.”

“Tsu-tan …” he whines, and his plushie rolls up a piece of paper and bops him with it. (He needed to finish stealing all of his Tsu-plushie’s pants. He was so cute when he wore sundresses!) “… fine. Let me snuggle you?”

(The moment that Tsu-tan presses into his side is the _best_ reward for trying to be good. If he can keep having happy Tsu-snuggles, he’ll be good even when it’s _really_ hard to keep being good. Blackmailing Shamal into being Hayato’s Mama again was being good, right?)

“So what _is_ it that you want me to do, nephew?”

“I’ve spent fifteen lives watching you solve the Lorenzini problem. I want to short-cut about fifteen years of research, while keeping them as cute - and non-weapon-like - as possible.”

“But that’s what they are. Weapons.”

“But not what they _have_ to be. The best use for them that I’ve seen is basically is therapy animals with defensive capabilities.” And if his Tsu-tan still ended up with Natsu after being his plushie for a year, he’d eat the tri-ni-sette.


	3. Chapter 3

“So where do we find the rest of your Guardians, little orchid?” His Mama has a hickey. Go Shamal!

“My Guardians?”

“Don’t play ignorant, sweetheart. If you’re going to be Vongola Decimo …” she trails off meaningfully and he makes a face. “… for all he’s your first, I don’t think that Sho-chan will make a very good consigliere for you. A Donna, maybe, if your Tsu-tan doesn’t want the role, but not a consigliere. And Tsu-tan thinks any resemblance to his otousama is a _bad_ thing, so he won’t want to be consigliere …”

“He’s not _wrong_. I went to war with the Vongola sometimes, in my dreams, I mean, and Iemitsu _hid_. He’s supposed to be their War Commander and he _hid_ , the coward. And hid well - half the time so well I couldn’t find him despite _looking_! He’s not a lion, he’s a _rat_.” His Mama laughs, and ruffles his hair, making him pout.

“So who _should_ we be looking for, little orchid? Gamma’s willing to help train him - or her - and the Cavallone consigliere is going to pitch in, too.”

“Isn’t he going to be kind of busy trying to keep Dino alive while Reborn terrorises him?”

“Aria took a look and then read her Papa the riot act about his training methods, little orchid. And told him why they wouldn’t work for Dino, even if they might have done for Skull. She’s going to supervise him and educate Dino about his emerging ‘knack’; Romario will have time to teach.”

He makes a face, sorting through his options. He wasn’t going near Daisy unless it was to see if Sky Ice could fix the zombie’s issues. Zakuro had a brain, but he really did prefer combat (when Kyōya finally caught up with them, his Storm would be useful to have around) and Bluebell was Yuni’s age (and Yuni’s Rain, not his). Kikyo was probably going to curse him out when he realised what he’d been signed up for, but he was the one who’d kept him mostly organised (other than Sho-chan). “Kikyo!” He chirps the name and his mother’s Flames twitch.

“We need a _little_ bit more to find him, little orchid.”

“Kikyo is really pretty, with mint-green hair and latent Cloud Flames.” He screws up his face theatrically. “All his Bosses want to fuck him and hate that they want to fuck him and hate that he won’t let them, so he gets treated badly.”

“Ah. What languages does he speak, sweetheart? It might help speed up the search.”

“His Japanese and Italian always had a weird accent? He might be in New York. Somewhere with a big Italian population that isn’t Italy -”

“We’ll take a look. Do you remember how he went Active in most of your dreams?”

“People trying to take something he didn’t want to have taken.” His Mama makes a face, understanding exactly what he means. “He makes a block-levelling _mess_ when it happens. Half the time I had to break him out of Vindicare … they need banishing, Mama.”

“Agreed, little orchid. But let’s make sure Yuni gets to having siblings and live into her twenties, first, ne?” He can agree with that sentiment. “Why don’t you go and peel Sho-chan out of Verde’s lab; your uncle is making excellent progress, but he’s not the best teacher for someone who still needs lots of the foundationals taught.” He bounces up on his toes; maybe he’d been pessimistic with his box-animal timelines? Watching Sho-chan being bullied into regular sleep by a vulpix was going to be so cute!

* * *

“That was a hickey I saw on Mama’s throat, wasn’t it, Shamal?” The Mist makes a small squeaky noise and he grins. (He was allowed to torment his Mama’s toy, right?)

“Shamal?” Hayato lisps the name. “Isn’t Shamal, is Mama.”

“Mist Flames are fun, little hawk. Shamal’s my work, um, face. And name. Like Alberto was Papa in private and Don Falco in public, sì?”

“Only let me call him Papa around you.” Oops. Traumatising Hayato wasn’t going to keep his Tsu-plushie happy. “Bianchi’s Mama was mean about it and smacked me when I forgot.”

(Oooh. Could he use the Falco to teach his Tsu-plushie how to do his XXX-burner? Which probably needed a new name. He’d got defeated a few times by the expectation of naked adult Tsu-plushie when he’d announced that attack. Naked adult Tsu-plushie was so pretty when he had the hormones to appreciate it.)

“Well, you don’t need to worry about them, little Hawk.” Shamal presses a kiss to Hayato’s nose. “And I’m planning to predominantly _be_ Lavina for the next couple of decades, Byakuran. Your Mama rather likes her, after all, and that’s very motivational.” He pulls a face, making Shamal smirk at him. “Don’t play the game if you don’t like the results, little menace.”

* * *

“He’s _my_ Tsu-plushie. And my Donna-to-be. Not yours.” Dino Cavallone was draped ungracefully across the nursery couch with his Tsu-tan sprawled on top of him, asleep, and he glares at his rival for Tsu-tan’s affections. “Even if he does look pretty spitted on Cavallone cocks when he’s older, he’s _mine_. I claimed him first.”

“Hiiieee.” He has to a double-check for which of the two in front of him the sound came from. “He’s too tiny for me to even think of wanting him like that.”

“There was a really cute life that I actually liked a lot, where we all worked together on the curse, and it’s one downside from my point of view was you got to Tsu-tan first and he was your very pretty, very eager-to-please Donna. I spied on you two, and he did so like being wrapped around your family endowment.” He grins wickedly at the teenage Cavallone. “He’s got a half-brother who stays just as tiny as he does, but still takes a cock like a champ and some cousins who look just like him, too.”

“Kura-kun, are you being mean to Dino-nii?” His Tsu-tan looks so cute blinking his way awake, and he rewinds the conversation … he really did need to give Tsu-tan Tuscan as well as Sicilian, but it did mean he probably hadn’t understood what he’d baited Cavallone with.

“Only a _little_ bit. He steals you away in so many of my dreams that I need to stake my claim _thoroughly_.” His plushie makes a face at him.

“It’s not stealing if he got there _first_ , Kura-kun.” He begs to differ. Especially as his sanity needed _both_ Tsu-tan and Sho-chan to be _really_ stable. Each on their own _mostly_ worked, but he didn’t like the wobbles. “And you told me I was happier as someone’s Donna than in charge, so those must have been good lives, right?”

“Mostly. But I do so much better when I have you _and_ Sho-chan, Tsu. And if you were busy playing house with Cavallone …” His plushie slides off Cavallone, making the blond whine, and drags him into a pile of cushions.

“So who makes Dino-nii happy when he doesn’t win the race to the Tsu-plushie, Kura-kun?” His little Tsu-tan is being adorably manipulative, and he can see their guest looks actually interested.

“All sorts of people, sweetheart. If he wasn’t worshipping you, then he was generally with your Cloud or his consigliere. And I think I told you about the worlds with bonded Skies? He makes a good balance for Xanxus is most of those -“ he wrinkles his nose, wanting to dissuade Dino from poaching from his aunt, “- but I think that was Reborn’s fault, at least in part. He made your Dino-nii like pain a bit more than was healthy. But if he wants to _be_ cherished, Romario. Someone to spoil, your mean little Cloud; Kyōya thrives on his attentions.” He grins. “If you have any interest in a partner with a double-X chromosome in this life, your Lightning would find you amusing, Cavallone. You’re her exception, especially if she gets a temporary prosthesis and play-rights.”

* * *

“We found your Cloud, little orchid. We _just_ beat the Vindice to him, thanks to Aria. She’s arguing with them now.” He _wants_ to find Kikyo and throw himself at his Cloud and purr at the man until he calms down and lets him help him with his ridiculous Flames (he actually was a bit annoyed that Kyōya hadn’t appeared yet; his Tsu-tan’s Cloud had grown up with a rich collection of familial techniques and tricks that would help Kikyo with control). “Apparently they’re former Arcobaleno and Bermuda is, in some ways, your predecessor; it gives her leverage.”

“Huh. Why did I never put those pieces together?” He should have done. He really should, given the number of times he’s burnt down or blown up Vindicare in his dreams.

“Probably for much the same reason as most people don’t put Mammon and Viper together, little orchid.” He makes a face; his Mama was probably right. “They do still need banishing; I suspect it will be trickier than murder though.”

“I’ve killed Giotto di Vongola and Damon Spade more than once, Mama, and had immortals as my Guardians. _Anyone_ can be killed if you try hard enough … well. Almost anyone? Haven’t managed to kill Daisy yet, but then I’ve never learned to make Sky Ice, and we _thought_ that might work. They activated by regretting a suicide attempt, so it messed up their Flames a _lot_.”

“… Giotto?”

He waves the Ring on his finger. “Someone thought that having their predecessors haunt them was ‘good’ for the current Don’s sanity.”

“I can see the benefits, but you probably don’t need the extra aggravation, little orchid. Do they at least have a mute button?”

He waves a hand in a sort of gesture that makes his Mama snort. “How _is_ Kikyo, Mama?”

“Asleep. Shamal’s looking after him; he’s exhausted, and has a broken hand.” His Mama pulls him into a hug that says far more clearly what state they’d found Kikyo in than her words. “He’s not your Cloud yet, though, little orchid, so let us deal with making sure he’s sane, okay? Aria sent for Skull, and he’s here and being serious for a change, so your Kikyo in good hands.”

“… Mama, I’m not sane. Why would I care whether he was?” His Mama makes an unhappy sound. “The only prescription that keeps me mostly sane is at least one plushie administered by snuggling. If Kikyo ends up with his own prescription, so be it.”

“Yes, but there are some prescriptions that are more palatable than others, little orchid. Your plushies and the need to cuddle them is a comparatively benign one compared to the one Kikyo will need.”


	4. Chapter 4

He wriggles out from beneath Tsuna, and, once he’s free, rolls Hayato into his place. (The nest was the _best_ idea he’d ever had! It meant he could have all the night-time snuggles, which helped with his brain working, far more than sleeping in separate beds in the same room did.) He shakes Sho-chan awake carefully - he’s planning to invade Verde’s lab, and his Sunshine would sulk if he wasn’t invited along for the ride - and his kitsune-plushie yawns prettily at him.

“Verde’s made a breakthrough. Wanna go invade his lab and see what he’s figured out?” His sunshine goes from sleepy to wide awake in a split second. He snickers; Sho-chan was nothing if not predictable about what attracted his attention. “He’s projecting, probably unintentionally and whatever it is he’s figured out has him excited.”

He was hoping he’d made the jump from theoretical to practical for the box animals, personally. “Byakkun, it’s 3am.”

“And? Is the _best_ time for Science!” His kitsune-plushie makes a ‘we are going to get into so much trouble’ sound, and he grins and twines his fingers with Sho-chan’s and tows him out of the nursery and unerringly through the maze that’s supposed to be the villa’s defences and down into the laboratory that Verde had set up in the wine cellars. (His Mama had declared the Villa dry because he was a menace. He didn’t see the connection, personally.) Verde was just as bad as Sho-chan for middle-of-the-night research binges; the only difference was that he had Kaiman to make him take breaks (though that only had so much of an effect; the Flame animal had a 32-hour sleep cycle).

The lab is brightly lit (the glow is almost radioactive) and he breaks the lock absentmindedly. (Really, who used electronic locks around Lightnings? Unless his secondary Flame was stronger than he thought? It might be; Ghost had been a Lightning Arcobaleno after all.) Verde’s engrossed enough in whatever it is that has him so excited that he barely notices their invasion of the labs.

“Whatcha found?” Verde twitches, and he grins at the man unrepentantly. “It has to be interesting; you woke me up!”

“I cracked the code, little menace.” He scrambles up onto the bench that Verde used to deal with his height issues. “Care to donate some Flames to see if I’m right?”

“I think Sho-chan should. He’s got a single Flame, and in some of the dreams, we got weird responses if we hadn’t mastered splitting our dual Flame into its components. And I know the _theory_ , but not the practice. I wasn’t expecting you to make a breakthrough so fast.” He grins. “I should share the mess Bester made when he was made; you swore off trying to custom Flame Animals after that.” Verde actually looks intrigued. “You can peep if you persuade Aunty Viper to help, Verde.”

“… talk about setting an impossible bar to meet, little menace.” He grins; that had been the point. He was still trying to figure out what shape he wanted his non-plushie therapy animal to take. “So, know how to pool your Flames, fox-cub?” Shoichi squeaks at the direct question.

“No?”

“Little Menace, you’re failing in your duties.” He pulls a face at Verde, and wraps himself around his kitsune-plushie; coaxing Shoichi’s Sun Flames to the surface was gratifyingly easy. (Though it was slightly worrying he had to stop them tormenting his plushie? Sho-chan’s stomach felt all _weird_ ; he needed to make Shamal look at that. He remembered that some of his Sho-chans had gotten very ill, but hadn’t realised it started _this_ early.)

“Byakkun?”

“Verde’s needling me, Sho-plushie. A Sky should teach their Elements all the Family tricks if they can. But we’ve bonded early, and we’ve all been more worried about keeping everyone alive and sane-ish to start formal lessons.” His Sun makes a vaguely scandalised sound, and he winds back through his words and oops. He hadn’t meant to call one of his plushies a plushie out loud. “Oops. I meant Sho- _chan_ , not Sho-plushie.” His Sun makes a sceptical sound, and he grins unrepentantly. “Say when, Verde-ji.”

He pours Sho-chan’s Flames into the nascent Flame Animal and shapes them (just a little bit) until Verde’s Flames crackle and flare in warning, and he shoves just a little bit more in and then ducks under the edge of the table. There is a predictable ‘boom’, and he giggles as the box animal forms, Flames wrapping around his Sun as a precaution. (He probably should have warned Verde about this step.)

“Vulpi! Vulpi!”

“That’s your cue, Sho-chan.” He has to gently prod his kitsune-plushie into standing up, and the box animal pounces, bowling Sho-chan back into him, and he coos; he’d expected the fire-type Vulpix (Sho-chan was a complete pyro when he was enraged and a princess when he was in a prickly mood), but an alolan one was possibly even cuter!

“I thought the animals were supposed to ‘real’, little menace.”

“Only if you don’t have the imagination to give them different shapes, Verde-ji.” The Lightning Arcobaleno - suitably soot-blackened - wrinkles his nose. “I have dragons when I rule the world. The whole World, I mean.” He grins. “I’m hoping to coax Tsu into shaping his into a unicorn just to make it clear how much he’d like his father dead.”

* * *

“Vulpix!”

“Where did you get a _shiny_ Vulpix, Sho-chan?” His Tsu-plushie is awake and curious, but his cunning-and-mildly-evil plan has been surprisingly successful; the deadweight of a fast asleep Hayato had kept Tsuna in their nest. “She’s _very_ pretty.”

“Verde-ji solved the equations. And she’s not shiny, are you sweetheart? You’re an Alolan Vulpix with pretty ice powers that my Sho-chan’s going to very much appreciate when he figures out the uses for them.” His plushies both give him a look that makes him grin. “Pokemon keeps getting more and more successful, and they experiment with environmental adaption happening; I’m kind of hoping that Takeshi manages an alolan growlithe even if they don’t _officially_ exist, they fit him so well.”

“What about me, Kura-kun?”

“Well. I only ever saw the box animal your father had commissioned for you.” His Tsu-plushie makes a face that he entirely agrees with. “I have an idea of what might suit you, but that’s only because it’ll make up for me being mean to your Dino-nii _and_ make it clear to he-who-shall-not-be-named that you’re not his to shape.” Tsuna blinks at him in confusion. “Oops. That’s not been translated yet, has it?”

“No, no it hasn’t, little orchid. I’ve commissioned a translation, but that’s going to take a few more months.”

“Mama -”

“It’s amusing, little orchid, the shape of the secrets you’ve learned in the future. You disabled Viper-ba’s alarm working when you snuck out and missed mine entirely. It makes me a little sad; I didn’t survive much longer most of the time in those dreams, did I?” He suspects his Flames give away the answer; he finds himself snatched up and viciously cuddled and he’s not objecting to that at _all_.

* * *

“Kura-kun mentioned Takeshi … did Kura-kun mean ’Keshi-kun? Stupid tall and good at baseball ’Keshi-kun? Because Tsu-tan misses ’Keshi-kun, and thinks ’Keshi-kun would make a good blanket -” His Tsu-plushie actually has Sky-Flame sparkles around him, and he’s so proud of his Tsu-plushie. He really was getting good at figuring out how to pull his levers in an entirely adorable sort of way.

“… yes, that was the Takeshi I meant.” His Tsu-plushie’s sparkles turn into hearts. “I didn’t realise you were friends with him already, or I’d have gotten Fabio to steal him, too, Tsu-plushie.” He drags his Tsu-plushie in close and chins him gently. “Though that would have gotten messy; is ’Keshi’s Mama still alive, Tsu-tan?” His Tsu-plushie shakes his head sadly. “Then it would have been a really bad idea. ’Keshi-kun is his daddy’s sanity like you’re mine, Tsu-plushie.”

“So I can’t have a ’Keshi-blanket?”

“No, it just means I have to be sneaky, Tsu-tan.” He taps his lip, contemplating the options. “I need to make sure Squalo has an alibi when I steal Zia Aria’s boy toy back from Nonno’s deep-freezer … him challenging Tsuyoshi would be spectacular and pretty, and _everybody_ would want to watch.” His Tsu-plushie tilts his head, clearly confused. “Tsuyoshi and Squalo are swordsmen, Tsu. Both of them have a following, though I think Tsuyoshi’s been hiding from his fangirls.”

“’Keshi-kun has fangirls. Yamamoto-san makes a face when they squeal at him.” His plushie sounds dubious about the existence of fangirls. “And fanboys. Mochida-san would really like ’Keshi-kun to notice him.” He snickers, remembering one or two timelines that he’d lived out. Somehow he didn’t think Mochida was going to get what he either consciously - or subconsciously - wanted. Though maybe he could hit three targets with one stone if he was lucky. (And he was very lucky; he had a Tsu to snuggle, didn’t he?) “So Tsu-tan can have ’Keshi blanket?”

“Tsu-tan can _definitely_ have ’Keshi blanket.”

* * *

He throws himself into his pile of plushies - barely registering the additional one - and trusting his Flames will make space for him right in the middle. (Sho-chan hadn’t meant to teach him to manipulate probabilities, but he had, and he was trying to be good and only use it sparingly. There always being a space for him in his nest was a good use, right?) “Vul- _pi_!”

“Sorry, sweetheart.” He scritches his sunshine’s box animal’s ears gently, making her tooth-purr happily. “I forgot that trick wouldn’t work on you.” He pools some of his Flames in apology; she inhales them, and he squirms into place, tugging his Sho-plushie on top of him. (He did try for his Tsu-plushie, too, but Hayato was napping on top of him, and the extra nest inhabitant is half under his Tsu-plushie; which probably meant it was Kyōya. The morning was going to be interesting.)


	5. Chapter 5

“Hiiiieee!” He jerks awake; that’s his Tsu-plushie’s distress sound! A memory of last night, and the probable reason for his Sky-plushie to be squeaking springs to mind. He relaxes for a moment and then realises what he’s being flippant about.

“Kyō-kun, no biting my Tsu-plushie, or I’ll ask Zia Aria to make Fēng take you home to Japan and keep you there.” There’s a disgruntled sound from the other side of his Tsu’s Hayato-plushie.

“My little animal.”

He switches to Mandarin, not sure his Tsu-plushie is ready to hear some of what he’s about to say to Kyōya. “You didn’t notice he was Sealed, and he wasn’t in your compound.” There’s another growl, and he snorts. “He definitely wasn’t _marked_ as yours, Kyō-kun.” His lips twitch into something resembling a smile. “Luckily for you, I’m happy for you to stay and even happier for you to be his Cloud, now he’s unSealed. I even have two other Clouds for you to bite to death, Kyō-kun.”

“Hn.”

“I _will_ just keep stealing him back, Kyō-kun. And I am the Sky of Skies, and he is part of what keeps me sane. No-one will stop me from taking him.” He sits up, crossing his legs, and his Sho-plushie’s Vulpix shifts, begging for scritches; he complies, and smiles, shark-like at Kyō-kun. “And some of them will even help me; Zia Aria’s seen what happens when I don’t have my plushies, and she doesn’t like those Worlds. The seas _burn_ and the skies _fall_.”

The Cloud shudders and buries his nose in his Tsu-plushie’s hair.

“If I’m not Sky of Skies, they break Tsuna to the role. And he’s not meant for battle. He makes a much better Sky for cuddling, ne? You don’t _really_ want to bite him, just keep him somewhere safe and warm where you can bring him treats and snuggle him when you can’t breathe for the fury burning in your veins …” he shapes his Flames carefully, projecting a willingness to share “… that’s what I want too, Kyō-kun. And his nest will be safer if we both guard it, right?”

“Fine.”

“’Kura-kun owes me today’s marshmallows. If ’Kura-kun is good, Tsu-kun will give them back, ’Kura-kun.”

He pouts. “What did I do?”

“’Kura-kun only switches languages when ’Kura-kun is being naughty.” He sulks for a moment. “But Tsu-kun forgives ’Kura-kun. Tsu-kun thinks he was trying to make Kyō-kun stay, ne?”

“Hn.” His Tsu-plushie sighs.

“Kyō-sama needs to behave, too. Tsu-kun hafta think about how to manage Kyō-kun …” His Tsu-plushie sparkles at him, and he twitches. He’s learning to recognise that look. “… where did ’Kura-kun get the snowy Vulpix? Kyō-kun likes cute things -”

“Do you remember me mentioning the box animals, Tsu-plushie?” His plushie nods and Kyōya looks at him curiously. “Sho-chan’s Vulpix is one of them; Zio Verde made a breakthrough. We could probably go and see if he can replicate it?”

* * *

“You’re needed, little menace. The old man used the Rings to lock up Xanxus’s ice-cube.” His plushie squeaks as he’s snatched up by Viper and unceremoniously dragged through a tear in space than makes his skin crawl. (It feels _exactly_ like the Vindice ones he’s been dragged through.)

Viper, several of his aunt’s men, and Lussuria are in a cavern that he vaguely recognises; he’s killed Iemitsu down here a few times. (His favourite has to be the time in the world with magic as well as Flames where he’d use Xanxus’s ice-block as a sacrificial altar and claimed the Wrath’s loyalty; the man’s Flame was so gloriously destructive when properly focused. He didn’t like the bit where he’d given the Wrath Tsu-kun as a pet, even if it had been hot to watch.)

Unusually, there are _chains_ draped over the ice block. It’s only the second or third time he’s seen them, and it makes Timo more of a threat than he’s entirely comfortable with. (The Vindice’s chains were the product of an extinct german Sky line’s knack, not something innate to Night Flames; when they showed up on Xanxus’s ice cube, it says unhappy things about who Daniela used to sire her son.)

Fortunately, he knows how to unravel them. They come undone at his touch and the ice melts, sliding away from his burning hands. “Slowly, cutie-pie. I need to make sure he’s not going to go into shock or develop complications.” Lussuria’s voice is soft and concerned and he slows down as much as he dares; he knows that even if Timo’s half a country away, he’ll know what they’ve done; the chains are living part of the man’s Flames.

Xanxus tumbles out of the ice and into Lussuria’s arms within minutes and Viper tears the world open the minute he does. Viper dumps them out in the Varia infirmary, and before he can be shuffled off to his Mama’s Villa, he tugs on Lussuria’s sleeve and smiles winningly at the femmininello. “He’s infertile in all of the worlds he’s left on ice for a decade, Lussuria, and impotent in most of them, too … given Zia Aria liked him enough to bed him before, I suspect she would prefer his junk works.” His smile morphs to a wicked one. “I think Yuni-chan would like a sibling or four, too. She always grumbled about being an only child in my dreams.”

“Ooh. That’ll motivate the Boss. He’s always been gooey for babies.”

“You, -” Viper’s tentacles grab him, “- are going back to your Nest before your mother realises I’ve been letting you bait your grandfather, little menace.” He pouts and the little Mist glares at him. (Even with Viper’s hood, he knows they’re glaring. He’s been defiantly glared at by Viper a _lot_. He always killed them off first; too much risk of their bases being compromised, otherwise.) “No. Cadenza was very clear, little menace. No baiting people who are off their meds; it ends messily.”

He tilts his head. “What’s Xan’s prescription, Viper-ba?”

“- I am not discussing my Sky’s sex life with you, little menace. Even if your mental age is far higher than your physical one.” He cackles. “And this was an emergency, if your mother asks. Hopefully, she won’t; Verde was cackling when I kidnapped you.”

* * *

His Nest is empty. It makes him pout; where were his plushies?! He was exhausted, and he needed plushie snuggles to recharge (it would be too easy to open himself up to Ghost, or to one of the others he can feel lurking); he makes himself get up and methodically quarters the Villa. When he finds them, he kicks himself for not checking Verde’s labs first. Viper-ba had _warned_ him that the Lightning Arcobaleno was cackling! He must be more tired than he thought.

“Byakkun -” His Sun-plushie sounds acutely worried, and his Sun’s box-animal jumps, and lands on his shoulder.

“Vulpi!” He wobbles, and someone catches him; more small, warm, furry forms press against him, the light chatter of Pokemon voices oddly soothing.

“- what did you do, little orchid? You’re almost burnt out -” his Tsu-plushie pokes him even as his Mama fusses over him, “- I don’t think I realised how bright you shone until you did whatever you’ve just done with Viper. I’m going to ring her neck.”

“They were trying to break Xanxus out and they couldn’t get him out of the Ice, Mama. I _had_ to. If they’d tried and failed, Timo would have hidden Aria’s boy toy elsewhere -” His mother laughs. His Tsu-plushie giggles, too, and radiates Flames at him. “- I guess I can’t try for a Box Animal right now.”

“Actually, brat, if you want to try for a _non_ -Sky animal, this would be the _perfect_ moment; the mathematics say that Sky-boxes will be a nightmare to master, and I want you and your little plushie to wait until you’ve developed some focus and self-control; he produced a weak Cloud box, and I suspect yours will be a Lightning.”

Verde presses something into his hand, and he pools his Flames, still feeding off his the ones his Tsu-plushie’s shoving into him, and pours the results into the framework (already heavily condensed from the first one Verde had created) and feeds it a handful of images, waiting to see which one the sapience settles on.

“Pa-pacha-pachirisu! Risu!” The little pokemon shocks him, but it tickles rather than anything else and he giggles.

“… a hyperactive electric squirrel does rather suit you, little orchid.”

“Doesn’t she just?” He snuggles the tiny pokemon and grins at his Mama. “What did Tsu-plushie and Tsu-plushie’s plushies get?”

“Furret!” His Tsu-plushie’s pokémon was wrapped around him like a furry boa-constrictor, head and paws on his plushie’s shoulder. It makes him giggle; it wouldn’t have been his first choice for Tsu, but a Sky!Mew would scare _everyone_ who knew what they were looking at and a Galarian Poynta would need his Tsu-plushie to find his Misty streak. He was confident he would, eventually. Even if he had to bribe Shamal; Dino’s response to his little brother having a horse-like box weapon would be too cute not to ensure it happened.

“’vee!” The silvery eevee on the other hand _absolutely_ made sense for Hayato. Especially given how malleable and prone to instability the Mist’s Flames currently were; he wondered if she would evolve every time he tried to pretend to be one of the other Flame-types?

“Sha!” He blinks. “Shaymin!” … that was a legendary pokemon. Even if it _was_ doing a really good impersonation of being harmless. He’d known Kyōya was _ridiculously_ strong, but that was well beyond _strong_ , and into ‘we need a Kawahira-extermination plan, now’ territory. It lent _urgency_ to the issue. (His Tsu-plushie would hate his new Cloud being taken away. And _he_ really didn't like it when his Tsu-plushie was sad. It made him unspeakably angry.)


	6. Chapter 6

“You’re still trash, brat.”

“Says the teenager who threw a tantrum and got stuck in the deep freeze.” He hopes they got to his mother’s boy-toy before he’d taken serious damage. He really did want more than one baby cousin.

(Huh. Would he get any siblings from his Mama now she had Lavina-Shamal? And what would Hayato think of having to share them with him?)

“You abandoned your daughter, you know. She’s adorable. Young enough that she won’t _really_ remember you being absent if you dote on her now.” Xanxus’s face is a picture; he suspects it’s mostly disbelief. “I mean, why else would a female Sky Arcobaleno drag you off to a remote Villa for a fortnight other than to make a baby? Or did Viper make you forget?”

“I have a daughter?”

“And she has a destiny, but we’re going to fix that. She doesn’t need to be the Sky Arcobaleno before she’s ten.” His lips twitch. “You can work on giving me more cousins to dote on. I suspect Zia Aria would even appreciate you bringing your chew-toy into the bedroom, too.”

“My … chew-toy?”

“Squalo.” He grins and bounces on his toes. “Stay there. I’m going to and get Yuni for you.”

“Tsch. And if I follow you?”

“I’ll gut you. She’s my baby cousin and a Giglio Nero Sky. She doesn’t _need_ a father. She doesn’t _know_ she has one.” He rocks on his heels. “I’m sure Zia Aria will drag you into her lair eventually; once she has, you’ll be able to wander into the nursery at will …”

Xanxus scowls at him but stays firmly seated as he slips out of the room. He returns fairly quickly with Yuni - she’s waiting, stood up in her crib, for him - and she almost throws herself out of his arms, but Xanxus has the reflexes of his profession and catches her fairly successfully.

“Papa.” Xanxus’s smile is smug as Yuni burrows into his arms. He flares his wings in response, spreading them wide, and the asshole’s grin only widens. “Keeping Papa.” He sighs and lets his wings fade. (When had Yuni started speaking?)

“I can’t argue with our little Sky Arcobaleno-in-waiting.” Xanxus’s eyes flash red, and he grins wickedly. “Consider that motivation to help find a solution, Xanxus.”

* * *

“I should spank you.”

“You say that like it’s a threat.” Aria facepalms. “I quite enjoy that most of the time … well, at least I do if Tsuna’s the one spanking me, I mean.”

“Little menace.” His Zia's voice is amused and rueful in equal measure. “You’ve not even properly begun puberty; that sort of comment will make anyone who doesn’t know about our dreams and visions _twitch_.”

He shrugs. “They have to guess there’s a reason why Giglio Nero Skies can lead their Family as early as they do during some Arcobaleno cycles.”

“Horse, not zebras, little menace. They’ll make other assumptions if you talk about sex too much.” He grumbles, and she leans over and ruffles his hair affectionately. “Yuni won’t let Xanxus out of her sight long enough for me to make her a baby sister.” His Zia's actually _whining_. “And I know that’s your fault somehow.”

“I wanted to motivate him. He’s got a lot of very bored assassins who are very, very bright. If he sets them loose on the Administrator problem, they might find an innovative solution.” She scowls at him. “The more ideas, the better, Zia. And they’ll chase him out of hiding so we can _do_ something about him. Even if it is just set him on fire and force him to show us who he _actually_ is.”

Aria snorts. “Yes, I could see Xanxus doing that for Viper. And now he’s gone on Yuni, for her, too.” His lips twitch. “Fine. He was so besotted after a fortnight at my mercies that Viper had to suppress the memory.” Her expression is more than a little defensively. “When I told him about the curse, he _Raged_.”

“… is _that_ how he ended up with Viper as his Mist? I never did get a good answer on the issue.”

“I think so. I suspect he and Viper are going to have a battle royale about the memory suppression when he realises that they did it. But Viper having been that deep in his head and liking what she found would explain it.” Her lips twitch. “And it would be _very_ Misty of her to bond that way.”

* * *

“One ’Keshi blanket, as ordered. His father is sparring with Genkishi and Squalo on the front lawn.”

“Tou-san’s _winning_. Tou-san is bestest.” The baby Rain (already ridiculously tall; seriously, what had Tsuyoshi been feeding him?) makes a beeline for his Tsu-plushie. “Was mean to steal ’Keshi’s ikigai.”

“Tsuna’s _my_ sanity, too.” He makes a face. “Didn’t have a choice. Our curse kicked in; think about how tightly your papa cuddled you after your mama died -” Takeshi makes a face at him.

“- still mean. My Flames went all funny. Icy and cruel, and Kintoki-sama kept appearing in my bed and worrying tou-san.” He tilts his head, putting the pieces together.

“Oops. I didn’t realise he was a Muramasa. Though it does explain how you managed to kill Genkishi in the bad futures, even when he went full Hell Ring on you.” Takeshi mouths ‘Hell Ring’, and he swears; he hadn’t meant to go there right now. “They’re related to your blade in some ways but not sentient, whereas I think Kintoki-sama is, right?”

“Uh-huh. He tells the best stories when I’m stressed. He looks like Papa, but not? Like he might be my ji-san, but isn’t -” he makes a face.

“Huh. I should factor that into the Kawahira hunting plan; I wonder if he’s ever taken a bite out of a pacifier?” Takeshi wrinkles his nose. “Oh?”

“Kintoki-sama’s tanto broke on one. He’s still grumpy about that. He was trying to free a great-great-uncle? I think? You’ll hafta ask chichi-ue once they’ve stopped flirting with his new playmates.”

“’Keshi needs a box pokemon, ’Kura-kun, and it’s time for Verde to eat. Two birds?” He pouts at his Tsu-plushie, but he’s probably right. And he does want to see which pokemon his plushie’s Rain summons. (After all, Takeshi had been the interesting one in most timelines with his dual box animals: Jirou, the loyal puppy, and Kojiro, who embodied the clan’s spirit.)

His plushie tows Takeshi through the Villa and into the lab-lair of the Lightning. Cayman looks relieved when they barge in; he wonders how long it is since the Lightning slept? It has to be an ominous sign, but there’s a half a dozen box animal frames lined up on the desk, and his plushie steals one without Verde even registering their presence.

“Pour Takeshi-kun’s Flames into the thingie, and then ’Keshi gets company like Tsu-kun’s Furret.”

“Thingie, Tsu-plushie?”

“Box-pokemon-conjuration-frame is too long, and Tsu-tan is talking to Keshi, not Hayato or Sho-chan.” Takeshi’s Flames are _brilliant_ , bright blue, the Rain only enhanced by the thread of Mist running through it, and the swordsman-to-be pours them into the wireframe carelessly, and he tries to remember if the older version had ever been taken as an Arcobaleno, because that Flame was _immense_. Maybe already carrying Muramasa made him ineligible? He’d have to ask Tsuyoshi about the case Takeshi had referenced.

“Growllll-ITHE!” He twitches; there’d been rumours about a water-type Growlithe or an ice-type one for Alola, but when there hadn’t been one in the game … the pup was big, easily eighty pounds (oversized for a Growlithe, and he wasn’t sure how big he’d ended up if he evolved) and pounces on his Tsu-plushie who squeaks as Takeshi wavers on his feet.

“Huh. I thought there was a capacity limit on those … probably just as well Tsu and I were tired?” He mumbles to himself.

“So _that’s_ where your new pets are coming from. May I?” He’s not used to Xanxus using company manners around him; normally, the Wrath snarls and curses and _screams_ at him. (But then he’d changed a _lot_ of things over the past few months.) Having Yuni on his hip is probably _part_ of why he’s being so polite; he doubts Zia Aria will allow him back into her bed if Yuni’s swearing up a storm. Tsuna grins and throws two of the frames (he winces; they’re deceptively fragile), and Xanxus catches them and hands one to Yuni, who giggles and copies her papa.

“Litten! Litten -” the black fire kitten drapes itself across Xanxus’s shoulders with a cheerful chirrup. A fennekin appears next to the father-daughter pair, leaning against the Wrath’s legs affectionately.

“Tsch. They’re not pokemon I recognise, brat. Nor is that growlithe supposed to be what, water-natured?”

“It’s a long story.”

* * *

“Apologies, Aria-san, Xanxus-kun; they underestimated me a little.” He giggles. Tsuyoshi had one swordsman over each shoulder, Squalo’s hair brushing the ground with each step. “I do need to have a discussion with Squalo at some point; he’s picked up parts of my sword-style while we were fighting, and there’s a gift there to be honed. Genkishi is a lost cause, though.”

“Oh?”

“He is -” Tsuyoshi’s clearly looking for the right words. “- without even the honour of a mafioso. In a sparring match, he used poison and betrayal. Squalo at least understood the necessity for blunted blades once I concussed him; Genkishi put a blade in my side under the cover of Mist - one that bore a new-made curse - that would have killed me if I wasn’t bonded to one of the pacifiers', um, relatives.”

Aria pinches her nose. “Little menace, just how bad does he get?”

“Bad. He finds a Hell Ring and loses control of it. At least Tsuna’s Mists controlled their Rings and curses. Even if Mukuro was an ass -” he makes a face, “- has anyone checked what the idiot Estraneo have been doing since their othering?”

“Should we have, little menace?”

“How do I set up a contract, Zio Xanxus?” Aria flushes at his acknowledgement of the relationship. “My Tsu-plushie has, had, will have? two bat-shit crazy Mists. They’re both Estraneo heirs and, um, experimental subjects.” Xanxus pinches his nose. “One of them gets vivisected, and the other … well, I’m not sure how to explain Mukuro.”

“I think that chosen name is enough, little menace. Xanxus?”

“Box animals for my officers.”

He narrows his eyes. “Your _bonded_ Guardians. I refuse to give your rats what can be _really_ powerful weapons.”

“They’re fluff-balls.”

“You make that mistake about Tsuna in most of my lives. He’ll be able to throw you through walls when he’s older.” He tilts his head, smile mischievous. “Or ride you into the floor when he’s old enough. But that’s not happening in _this_ life. He’s going to squeak adorably for me, instead.” He holds his hand out to the Litten, and it rubs against his hand gently; he pokes it into a temporary evolution and enjoys Xanxus’s expression when the tiny black cat turns into a bipedal cat slightly bigger than the Wrath. “The growlithe Takeshi summoned turns into an Arcanine - five hundred pounds, and at least a foot taller than you at the shoulder. They’re rideable. Sho-chan’s Vulpix will be a Nine-tail'd kitsune if it chooses to use his Flames appropriately. Not giving one to a _rat_.” He grins toothily at Xanxus. “I buy one in the future; your father’s already bought the other. Well, and the police, too, to be fair.”

Xanxus’s eyes narrow, and he grins.

* * *

’Keshi-blanket, indeed. His Tsu-plushie’s Rain was sprawled over everyone in the nest. It was quite impressive, as was the Arcanine acting as a pillow. He _really_ needed to look into Shigure Kintoki. Especially after Tsuyoshi’s comment about him being related to the pacifiers. (He was fairly sure that was a euphemism, but it said a lot about the blade, anyway.) The Arcanine lifts it’s head and looks at him, and he grins.

“Hello, Jirou. You’re an Asari temple dog, aren’t you?” The oversized dog makes a soft sound, and he grins. “I wasn’t expecting to see you so soon.” The dog tilts his head, and then ‘boofs’ again. “… yes, I’m planning to be relatively good. Now. Are you going to let me wriggle into my Nest? Your human’s Sky is most of what stands between me and being a nogitsune.”

The Arcanine stretches, and he wriggles into the space created; Takeshi rapidly extends his blanket-ness to cover him too, and he buries his nose in Tsuna’s floof with a happy sound. This was the _best_ life.


	7. Chapter 7

“Was your knowledge of the Estraneo issue first hand or second hand, little orchid?” He’s tempted to joke, but his Mama looks deadly serious.

“I ate Mukuro in one reality.” His Mama pinches her nose. “He was almost as crunchy as the pacifiers were in that really strange universe where I ended up eating _them_.”

“I hope you mean his soul, not actual cannibalism. Not that eating his soul is _much_ better, but there is precedence for it being an accidental side effect of several combat techniques.” His Mama shakes her head. “Shamal needs your help; Xanxus recovered a number of children from the Estraneo, including the two that you named as your Tsu-plushie’s. Several of them are … absent. Shamal’s standard techniques to call back a wandering Mist aren’t working.”

“If it’s the heir and the heiress, they’ll come back themselves if they’re still breathing; they were forcing um, looped reincarnation, I think is the best description for the issue. Chrome’s father took her and ran after they tried it the second time.”

“Looped reincarnation?”

“They were trying to replicate my dreams. Or a version of them? Forcing the gain of experience and strength by killing them and reviving them over and over again.” His Mama shivers. “Mukuro went through seven successful iterations and a dozen more that _weren’t_ ; they didn’t leave him dead long enough. If they’re breathing but not screaming, then it must be the first successful attempt -”

His Mama makes a face. “Your prescription, little orchid?”

“They can _borrow_ Tsu-plushie. He might be able to call them back, Mama; they’re his after all. But they don’t get to _keep_ him.” His Mama laughs and ruffles his hair.

“Why don’t you go and expand that nest of yours enough to fit them in, too, little orchid; then you don’t have to worry about them _stealing_ Tsuna. Shamal’s got their _bodies_ healthy, and waking up in our infirmary is probably going to terrify them _more_.”

* * *

“I’d like to introduce you to your great-grandaughter, _Papa_.” He’d not been keen on this, but his Zia Aria had insisted that she’d seen _something_ , and well, she was better equipped to play chicken with Timoteo. He was at least getting to _watch_. (Ooh, if Xanxus was introducing Yuni as Timo’s great-granddaughter, did that mean Xanxus was his half-brother? He hadn’t made that connection.)

Timo’s face is _priceless_.

“Yuni has a grand-papa?”

“Great-grandpapa, Yuni.” Xanxus presses a kiss to his baby cousin’s temple. “He let your grandpapa die. Not that I knew that he was my papa at the time; your great-grandfather came up with a very _catholic_ solution to my existence. It would have worked better if I’d been your age, of course. Or younger. Then he wouldn’t have had to shame his Mama or Rosa to pull it off.”

“Xanxus, really? Does she need to know that?”

“If she doesn’t understand the family’s dynamics, how can she know who to trust, Papa? And it's not like I’m telling her about your … what did Byakuran call him? Your catamite? I’ve just taught her not to trust blond Skies unless Aria or I explicitly introduce them to her as safe.”

(He’d been worried about Dino there for a minute; he didn’t think the Wrath had any reason to distrust the Cavallone Sky.)

“Yuni has … great-uncles?”

“Not anymore, sweetheart. Your great-grandpa got them killed. It’s why he’s only allowed to see you under supervision.” Xanxus was having a lot of fun twisting the knife. He’ll have to remind his half-brother that sometimes being cruel could be a double-edged blade. (He's still _almost_ tempted to send his Tsu-plushie in to provide the killing blow; his plushie is in full primo mode today ... well, Primo wearing a sundress, but given some of the research one of his selves had done, that wasn’t out of character for Giotto do Vongola.)

Xanxus puts his daughter down, and she toddles over to Timoteo. “Up. Want to _look_ at great-papa.” Xanxus _glares_ at Coyote, who’d moved to intercept his tiny daughter. The Ninth Vongola Don lifts her up, settling Yuni on his hip, and his manipulative (Giglio Nero, inhuman) little cousin touches Timo’s cheek and makes the old man look at her. “Fixed it. Not malice; Sky-’tranced … wonder if cousin Kawahira would be willing to use baka-mitsu to buy me time if we can’t fix the curse.”

* * *

“You need to stop ‘looking’, Yuni. S’only meant to be a fail-safe.” His baby cousin pouts at him. “I know. But circumstances have changed. We’ve got at least three, possibly as many as half a dozen possible solutions, none of which involve you being a toddler Arcobaleno, Yuni. You _don’t_ need to live so many lives in your dreams.”

“But -”

“No buts, sweetheart. Do you want to go quite as mad as I have?” She shakes her head. “Then let’s get you a Sky box animal so we can bind that fail-safe back up again so you can enjoy being a kid again, m’kay?” Yuni whines but nods, and then buries her head in his shoulder. “Want to try something fun with me, first? Mukuro and Chrome are struggling to stay well, not alive, precisely, but it’s close enough; I want to see if we can make them box animals without them present.” He grins. “I ate them once upon a time, after all.”

“Not supposed to admit that, nii-san.” He laughs and carries her down into the laboratory; Verde sighs and waves at the table behind him, where there was now a Flame-based 3D printer of sorts, churning out the delicate frames. He hadn’t expected the Lightning to automate the process so quickly.

“Verde?”

“You were all interrupting my research time.” He supposed that would motivate the man.

“Want to watch me try something neat? I think the Estraneo twins need starter box animals. But they’re in no state to make them -”

“- but they need the person’s Flame … don’t they?”

“Sky magic bullshit. I know how both of them ‘resonate’.” Verde makes a face that’s mostly grumpy with a side order of curiosity. “Mists can do it, too, if they’ve got the right sort of training. If I remember correctly, that was how you ‘made’ them to order in at least one life. And Yuni’s going to try and make a Sky box, too - you’ll need to be ready to throw up barriers; the Sky boxes tend to be grumpy bastards. My dragons destroyed most of the base we were on when I opened their box for the first time; I think the only one that didn’t come out grouchy was Cavallone’s, and that was mostly because he had one of the early boxes, made as much from one of his horses as his Flames.”

Verde scribbles a note, and he picks up one of the boxes; Yuni takes it from him and pours her Flames into the frame recklessly. It shimmers, glowing red hot and then leaps out of his baby cousin’s hands in a remarkably familiar matter.

“Verde!” Lightning crackles, barriers flaring into existence, and Yuni leans into him sleepily. “Nuh-uh. You have to reel them in, sweetheart. Lure them to you and persuade them to listen.” He coaxes Yuni into reaching out to the box-animal and calming it down enough to begin to coalesce into a physical form. “There we go. You’re doing so well, princess. Just a little bit more, and you’ll have someone to cuddle with and protect you forever and ever.”

He’s not quite as worried about the Celebi that pops into existence; everyone would _expect_ a powerful weapon from the tiny would be Sky Arcobaleno, especially as she was a Giglio Nero/Vongola cross. (And well, Yuni had managed time travel in at one of his lives without any Bovino tech.)

“Celebi! Celebi!” Yuni holds her hands out to the pokemon, and the small pokemon lands on her chest and settles in for a nap, making his baby cousin coo. (It was a tiny Celebi if he remembered the information correctly; they were supposed to be almost 2ft tall, but this one was barely half that.) He shifts Yuni to his hip and summons the memory of Chrome-and-Mukuro, their yin-and-yang nature, and shapes his Flames carefully, and picks up two of the frames, letting the Flames he’s reshaped drip into them achingly carefully.

Two Nidoran, one of each gender, materialise on the table, and he strokes their noses in turn, before nudging them back into their ‘balls’. Like the Celebi, they were far smaller than the standard versions, but given he’d underfed the boxes, he’s not surprised.

“That was … informative, Byakuran. I look forward to seeing you and Tsuna and the young Cavallone create your Sky boxes.”

“And Xanxus. His will be spectacular; I’m torn between Eternus and Groudon … or he might just produce a fire Arcanine that’s stepped over into legendary status, perhaps in white and gold like their shinies should have been.”


End file.
